


Patterns

by A Magiluna Stormwriter (ariestess)



Series: #666foryou [371]
Category: Damien (TV)
Genre: Animals, Gen, Pack Dynamics, Pre-Series, Spirit Animals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-28
Updated: 2016-09-28
Packaged: 2018-08-18 15:47:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8167400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariestess/pseuds/A%20Magiluna%20Stormwriter
Summary: It takes a moment for her to find the alpha of the group, particularly at this distance.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Date Written: 29 September 2016  
> Word Count: 436  
> Prompt: spiral  
> Summary: It takes a moment for her to find the alpha of the group, particularly at this distance.  
> Spoilers: Pre-series speculation and backstory. Beyond that, everything we learned in these 10 episodes is up for grabs.  
> Warnings: No standard warnings apply.  
> Series: #666foryou  
> Website: ShatterStorm Productions – Doggie Duo  
> Link to: http://bdkk.shatterstorm.net/  
> Archive: ShatterStorm Productions & AO3 only…all others ask for permission & we'll see…  
> Feedback: Constructive criticism is always welcome.
> 
> Author’s Disclaimer: "Damien," "The Omen," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Glen Mazzara, David Seltzer, 20th Century Fox Television, Fox 21, and A&E Television Networks. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "Damien," "The Omen," A&E, or any representatives of the actors.
> 
> Author’s Notes: This ended up way more interesting to me than I expected. I have a fascination with wolf pack dynamics, particularly since I was a preteen living in a suburb of Milwaukee. There was man a few miles down the road who had a timberwolf pack on his land. They were caged, but he basically had raised them all by hand, if memory serves correctly. He had one older, huge male that was the former alpha [his mate had died, and the man had a younger alpha pair]. This male was very defensive and mean to pretty much everyone but the man who owned/raised him. But I was able to stand less than five feet from that wolf's enclosure and meet his gaze without him showing any signs of aggression or anything. The man who owned the pack basically offered me a job on the spot for when I was old enough, because I was the only person he'd ever seen that wolf act so calmly with, other than himself. I regret the fact that we moved before I could ever go to work for him. I swear that wolf's name was Max, but don't remember for sure… Anyway, this was a long and drawn out memory to say that, from a young age, I have been fascinated by canine pack dynamics, so used some of that info in this fic. Honestly? I think I use some of that information I learned whenever I write for the hellhounds.
> 
> Dedication: This is part of a series of stories to thank the phenomenal creative team of _Damien_ , both in front of and behind the camera.
> 
> Beta: theonlyspl

She once watched a small wolf pack in a zoo when she was younger. Pack was probably pushing it, given it was a mated pair, one adult offspring and its mate, and the alpha pair's new litter of three pups. The alpha male was jittery by the crowds pressing up against the glass and chain link that separated them from his pack. While his mate tended to their tiny pups, he and the other two adults proceeded to skulk about the enclosure, fanning out in a tight spiral pattern from the den toward the barrier. Each step taken ensured another piece of their domain was safe from predators and foes.

The longer she watched them, she noticed how their pattern was more than a simple spiral. Each wolf's circuit of the enclosure differed slightly, staggered by distance and time, guaranteeing that all three were always between the unknown and the pups. Without question, she knew that a larger pack would create a more intricate pattern of spirals radiating out from that den's precious denizens. She wanted to get up as high as possible, watch their pattern of survival in its eternal process. The desire for a camera to record this phenomenon was so strong, her stomach clenched from the need. But she could only content herself with watching them at ground level.

*****

The memory surfaces nearly ten years later, startling her from her observation of a trio of Rottweilers skulking about at the edge of the woods across the park from her. It takes a moment for her to find the alpha of the group, particularly at this distance. The beta and omega offer no distinctions that she can easily decipher, not that it matters at present. They're intently studying something that she can't see clearly, though she suspects a squirrel or some other small mammal. Grabbing her camera, she trains it on each dog in turn, snapping shots without knowing precisely why she feels so compelled. When her lens focuses on the alpha, she is drawn to the play of powerful muscles. When said alpha turns its gaze on her, the breath freezes in her lungs and her heart begins a trip hammer rhythm. The fight or flight instinct kicks in, and she has to fight the urge to make a scene as she flees. Just before the alpha's attention is called away by their prey, she'll swear she sees a flash of red in its eyes. The rational part of her mind tells her it's nothing more than a trick of light. She chooses to believe that; anything else would be silly and superstitious. 


End file.
